ALEPPO, PENNSYLVANIA, PEDESTRIAN KILLED IN UNUSUAL CAR ACCIDENT

On Jan. 3, a 49-year-old woman died after being struck by a car that had slid on a patch of ice. According to officials, the Aleppo, Pennsylvania, woman was walking her two dogs near her home around 8:00 a.m., when the accident occurred.

Officials say the collision between the vehicle and the pedestrian took place in the intersection of Rockledge and Lakeside drives. Authorities believe the victim had been walking with her two dogs, both Bernese Mountain Dogs, just prior to the accident. One of the dogs became pinned under the vehicle while the other dog is believed to have fled into a nearby wooded area. The injured dog is expected to survive after having been treated at a local veterinarian.

Neighbors say that the victim and her husband did not have kids and the two dogs are treated as the couple’s surrogate children. The victim worked as a groomer at a local dog grooming business. That establishment closed temporarily after the accident to allow the victim’s coworkers to conduct a search for the still missing dog. The dog that ran into the woods was described as a female with a red leash. Local residents are being asked to notify the Sewickley Heights Police if they happen to see the dog.

Any accident between a vehicle and a pedestrian can be fatal or result in catastrophic injuries. Pedestrians injured by cars often face extensive medical care and rehabilitative therapy. Those medical expenses can quickly become unmanageable for the average person.

Pennsylvania pedestrians should know that motorists have a duty to exercise reasonable care when operating their vehicles. Motorists can sometimes incur liability when they fail to properly yield to pedestrians or otherwise drive too fast for the available conditions. Depending on the circumstances, pedestrians injured by motorists may be able to recover compensation for their medical expenses and other related costs.